The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • PDP congratulates APC on registration

    PDP congratulates APC on registration

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has congratulated the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the successful registration of the new party.

    In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Tony Okeke, the party described the birth of the APC as healthy development for the nation’s democracy.

    The statement, however, said the registration of the APC does not pose any threat to the ruling party, adding that it still maintains its pre-eminent position and enjoys acceptance across the country.

    It said: “Nigerians now expect the leaders of the opposition party to eschew all forms of bitterness and desperation and desist from politics of propaganda which characterized their former parties.

    “The PDP urges the APC leaders to focus on issues and engage in more robust debates on the economy and other issues of governance in the general interest of the country.

    “The leadership of the PDP congratulates the leadership of the APC on the successful registration of their new party. This is very healthy for our democracy.

    “We hope that from now the opposition will eschew all forms of bitterness and desperation and desist from politics of propaganda which characterized their former parties.

    “We hope to see a vibrant opposition that will constructively engage the PDP on issues of governance in a way that Nigerians will be the utmost beneficiaries, instead of overheating the polity by promoting violence and hatred among the people.”

     

     

  • Rivers House leader Lloyd arraigned in court

    Rivers House leader Lloyd arraigned in court

    The Leader of Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Chidi Lloyd, who has been in Police custody since last week when he submitted himself to the Police Headquarters in Abuja was on Wednesday brought to a Port Harcourt High Court following the order of the court this last Tuesday.

    Lloyd was brought into the crowded court at exactly 10.50am under tight security by armed policemen and other security agencies.

    Due to submissions made by different counsels in his matter, his plea could not be taken when the case was mentioned.

    The prosecution counsel, Mr. Donald De-wigwe (SAN) who led a team of lawyers had argued that the State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Worgu Boms, cannot take over the criminal proceedings when there was no proper arraignment of the accused before the court.

    De-wigwe submitted that the announcement by the Attorney-General that he would take over the criminal proceedings was premature and cited legal authorities to support his argument.

     

     

  • Hezbollah: FG tenders videos of Lebanese confessions

    The FG closed its case on Wednesday in the trial of three Lebanese being held in connection with terrorism.

    The state, before closing its case on day three of the trial being conducted by Justice Adeniyi Ademola of the Federal High Court, Abuja, tendered video evidence where the Lebanese confessed to some of the charges against them.

    The Lebanese – Mustapha Fawaz (49), Abdallah Thahini (48) and Talal Ahmad Roda (51) – are charged with their companies – Amigo Supermarket and Wonderland Amusement Park Resort.

    They are also being held in connection with the last discovery of a large cache of arms and ammunition in a bunker in House 3 Gaya Road, Kano.

    The video evidence, contained in eight Digital Video Discs (DVD), admitted as exhibits by the court, contained recordings of all the interview sessions held with the accused persons by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS).

    Excerpts from the video evidence, tendered by a hooded witness, identified as DSS10, were shown in the open court.

    Although the accused persons, particularly Roda (who was arrested in the house) had denied knowledge of the existence of the bunker, clips from the video revealed where Roda admitted he was in charge of tendering the bunker.

    The video also showed Fawaz (one of the owners of Amigo Supermarket) admitted making video recordings of aerial view of some strategic structures in Abuja from atop Sheraton Hotels.

    Fawaz added that he led one Issah, a non-Nigerian to locate the Israeli embassy in Abuja.

    The three accused persons also admitted undergoing training in the use of firearms, while in their country, Lebanon.

     

     

  • Gunmen abduct three female teachers in Edo

    Three female primary school teachers have been abducted by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers in Edo State.

    The teachers whose names were given as Mrs. Patience Osadolor, Momodu Aisha and Mrs. Patience Oroghene were abducted  in the Orogbua Primary School premises located at Upper Ekewan.

    Sources said the gunmen stormed the school during school hours and started shooting sporadically.

    A parent who came to check on his kid was said to have been hit by a stray bullet.

    The source said the suspected kidnappers took their victims away in one of the cars belonging to the one of the victims.

    State Police Spokesman, DSP Moses Eguavoen confirmed the kidnappings and said the police has launched manhunt for the abductors.

  • Niger intervenes in girl’s conversion to Islam saga

    Niger State government has intervened in the crisis  over the custody of the 25 year old Charity Uzoechina who was alleged to have been forcefully converted to Islam and have been living at the palace of Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar on the orders of a Sharia Court.

    The state government may eventual take custordy of the lady on Thursday  as soon as the Sharia Court vacate the March 4 order which placed the lady’s custody with the Etsu Nupe.

    Government intervention came to the fore Wednesday  at a stakeholders meeting brokered by the state government following the tension being  generated and the fear that the matter may snowball into religious crisis.

    The Nation gathered that the meeting was summoned by the acting state governor, Hon. Musa Ibeto following a letter from the Presidency directing the state government to ensure that the issue did not snowball into religious crisis in the state.

    The meeting which lasted for more than two hours  at the Government House, Minna was attended by the Etsu Nupe, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, the National Secretary and N iger state Chairman of Christians Association of Nigeria (CAN), the parents of the lady, Charity and the former governor of the state, Engineer Abdulkadir Kure and some senior security officers.

    Speaking with newsmen after the meeting,  the Deputy Governor siad the meeting was enssentially to reunite Charity with her family in a way that she would be confident that the father would not harm her, which made her to go to court initially.

    Ibeto reiterated that in Niger State religion is not a problem because there is harmonious religion relationship and peaceful coexistent of the adherents of the two major religions in the state.

    He stated that in as much as at twenty-five Aisha (Charity) has the right to practice any religion of her choice, he said that the reason for seeking to vacate the order which gave the palace the custody of the lady from court was to see if the father and daughter could be united.

    The deputy governor was silence on the custordy of the lady. According to him, “Unless the order is vacated nobody can take any decision, it is only if the order is vacated that she can decide on her own”, the Deputy Governor stated.

    The counsel to Pastor Uzoechina who attended the meeting Barrister Femi Ikotun stated that the position is that the order should be vacated from Sharia Court in Bida, saying that “we have already applied for it to be vacated”.

    Meanwhile the 3rd annual Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Criminal Justice Reform conference holding in Minna on Wednesday  stalled the suit by Charity’s  father before a High Court Bida challenging the juridiction of the Sharia Court in entertaining the suit.

    The father of the lady sought the Court order to bar the Sharia Court from entertaining the suit by his daughter who has since assumed a new name, Aishat on the ground that the Sharia Court lacks the competence and jurisdiction to hear the suit.

    It was also gathered that other suits slated for hearing by the court were adjourned to September 17th for hearing due resolution of the local NBA mandating all members to attend the ongoing conference.

    An official of the court told our correspondent that all the cases in the court  were adjourned to September 17th for further hearing, as courts in the state are going on their vacation from August 5th and would resume September 15th.

     

  • Kerosene explosion: Ebonyi shuts filling station

    Kerosene explosion: Ebonyi shuts filling station

    Ebonyi State government has closed down an Abakaliki filling station belonging to Masters Energy Oil and Gas Limited, which was allegedly fingered for selling adulterated kerosene products to the households affected by a recent explosion.

    The explosion, which occurred at Mbukobe and other parts of the state, killed one Chidera Nwoba, 13, while two other victims, Chibueze Ugorji (8), and Uche Kalueze (6) suffered first degree burns.

    The Special Adviser to the state governor on Petroleum Product Pricing and Distribution, Mr. Chidi Ejem, said the filling station, located along the Abakaliki/Enugu expressway, was shut down because its product did not meet the required standard for public usage.

    He said the filling station would remain closed until its management pays the stipulated penalties for the incident.

     

  • Ikpeba faults Oboabona Arsenal snub

    Ikpeba faults Oboabona Arsenal snub

    Former Africa Footballer of the Year, Victor Ikpeba, has said it was wrong for Godfrey Oboabona not to undergo trials with English Premier League side Arsenal.

    Oboabona has said it was disrespectful for Arsenal to ask him to undergo trials after what he has achieved with the Super Eagles.

    But Ikpeba, who played under Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger at French club Monaco, said the Sunshine Stars skipper got it wrong.

    Ikpeba told MTNFootball.com:”Oboabona was wrongly advised, he should have gone for the trials even if he does not make it into Arsenal, another English side would have seen him.

    “I know he would say he has won the AFCON and plays for Sunshine Stars but he should understand that it’s not the same way these European coaches view European and South America players they view African players.

    “Yes, we have talent but you need to understand how they play, adjust to their weather and a lot of things, so I think he should have gone for the trials because I know Arsene Wenger has a lot of respect for African players.”

     

  • INEC registers APC

    INEC registers APC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission has finally given the nod for the merger of the leading opposition parties in the country- Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC).

    The parties formed the All Progressives Congress in the efforts to provide a formidable challenge for the ruling Peoples Democratic Party in the 2015 elections.

    Following the approval, the individual certificates of the three parties involved in the merger had been withdrawn.

    The statement reads:

    “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved the application by three political parties – the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) – to merge into one, to be known as the All Progressives Congress.

    “On considering the application, the Commission found that the applicant-parties have met all statutory requirements for the merger, and has accordingly granted their request.

    “Consequently, the Commission has approved the withdrawal of the individual certificates of the applicant-parties, and the issuance of a single certificate to the All Progressives Congress.”

     

  • Martins to consider Turkey switch

    Martins to consider Turkey switch

    Nomadic Nigerian striker, Obafemi Martins, is open to meet officials from Turkish club Trabzonspor over a possible transfer, MTNFootball.com reports.

    Martins is needed by Trabzonspor officials to fortify the team attack in the forthcoming UEFA Europa League and so the Turkish club wish to meet with the striker over a possible move.

    According to Fanatik.com, Martins is being considered as it seems Trabzonspor has missed out on Cote d’Ivoire star Salomon Kalou, who is wanted by EPL side West Ham United.

    Martins currently plays for Seattle Sounders in the United States Major League Soccer (MLS).

    He has previously featured for Inter Milan (Italy), Newcastle United, Birmingham City (England), Wolfsburg), Rubin Kazan (Russia) as well as Levante (Spain).

    He would join up with former Chelsea stars Flourant Mouluda and Jose Bosingwa at Trabzonspor, if the deal goes through.

     

  • Nigeria begins troops’ pullout from Mali

    Nigeria will begin withdrawing some of its 1,200 troops in Mali on Wednesday and redeploy them in security operations at home, the military has said.

    Nigeria has been planning the withdrawal mainly due to the need for more soldiers to fight its own homegrown Islamist insurgency.

    “The troops are mainly those not accommodated in the structures of the newly formed United Nations … mission in Mail,” Brigadier-General Chris Olukolade said in a statement. “They are to join the ongoing internal security operations.”

    Reuters reports that he did not specify how many troops would be withdrawn, saying only that an “input of sizable men and materials (will) … continue in the UN Mission,” including a Nigeria-run military hospital.

    Voters in Mali’s presidential election turned out in large numbers peacefully on Sunday, eager for a fresh start after a March 2012 coup allowed separatist and al Qaeda-linked rebels to seize the desert north last year.

    Vote counting has been disputed and the result is likely to cause tensions.